Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Oh, yeah. In order to fulfill the title, ol' Stevie Rogers here needs his toys! And boy does he have them: spankin' space-age soft plastic Vibranium shield, groovilicious gun, and Holycow Hard Helmet!

The funny thing about this figure is that I knew I wanted it. But when I was making the call to the specialty store to put him on reserve, I didn't actually know he correct name for him and couldn't get online to find out. I tried telling the guy it was the movie Cap, but he wasn't sure which that was. So I tried Heavy Duty Cap, Big Bad Combat Cap, and even Final Battle Cap. Yes, I couldn't have been further from the correct name.

But it all turned out well because when i went down to the store to pick up the Movie Cap stuff that I actually got the names right for, he was still in stock. So a shimmy, swoop, and a tuck-and-roll later, he became part of my haul. True, I didn't have to resort to acrobatics, but I couldn't chance someone else springing from the shadows and nicking SC Cap from me. Sure, they did have more than one of this guy in stock, but what can I say? Where else was I gonna show off my years of imaginary super hero combat training? I can't do it here in cyberspace, that's for sure. But what I can do is review the figure! ;P

Like: The movie costume! It's gritty and real, except it's got the red, white and blue instead of a standard army khaki or camo. For example, he's entirely a non-flashy blue except for the standard brown of his gloves and boots. His middle torso is sewn in white and the touch of red comes from his suspenders, which provide the illusion of stripes.

I'm a big fan of costumes that have a real world flavor (especially for the movies) and are practical. In this case, Cap's meant to be the leader around which the US Army rallies. His colors make him a walking, fighting flag for the Americans but his duds are still like an army uniform, demonstrating his loyalty to being part of a fighting unit.

I really love the folds and wrinkles of his costume. It's much more realistic than running into battle in skin-tight spandex, though the latter would be a lot cooler (literally, not figuratively. ;P)

Like: His articulation. Unlike some of his other versions from this line, Cap has both working wrists and ankles along with the rest of the articulation we've been so spoiled with by Hasbro. The dude's also got the fantastic new leg and thigh cut combo (see below under (Poseability"), which he must have because he's the definitive movie Cap.

Dislike: That despite having all the PoAs we know and love, his arms can't swivel upwards completely because of the shoulder sculpt. I guess for aesthetic reasons they gave him slanted shoulder sockets. So while he can swivel his arms 360 degrees, he can't rotate them into a "straight up" position.

Like: That the shield has rubbery plastic-molded straps which fit snugly into Cap's grip. And seeing that he's got two gripping hands, the shield can held in either!

Like: The removable helmet. When Singaporeans serve in the army at the age of 18, there are two items we're told to never ever leave alone--our rifles and our helmets. Every good soldier needs one if they wanna stay alive, so it's only proper that Cap has one too. In Cap's case, it's less a survival tool and more something else to throw at the enemy just in case he loses his shield. Heh.

Like: The usable holster and his pistol! Giving a figure and handgun as an accessory is well and good but giving it a place to holster it is more than excellent. With the holster, Cap can hold all his gear--shield in hand, helmet on head, and handgun in holster. It's little soldiery things like these that make the best Captain America figures. We all wanna see America's Super Soldier be soldier-like after all and the details go a long way in making him look the part. But more importantly, they also speak volumes about ol' Steve Roger's character as a soldier and as a leader and as a hero, making him more than just your run-of-the-mill super dude!

Dislike: He's slightly out of scale with Marvel Universe figures by just being a tad short The Thor movie figures also suffer from this problem. Maybe it's still excusable for Cap because he's in a team with giants like Hulk, Thor, Iron Man (suit makes him biggish), and Giant Man (oh my gosh I'm hilarious...Get it? Giants like Giant Man...) But while he's a little short next to any MU Cap, he's still broad enough of chest to hold his own against the other figures out of the MU Line.

Like: That they nailed the Chris Evans look. At least what he looks like behind the mask. Lol. It then begs the question: would it be great to have an unmasked version? Aw hell yeah it would!

*Drool*

Like: That he completes the movie Avengers 3.75" lineup! We had Iron Man Mk VI, Sam Jackson Nick Fury, Chris Hemsworth Thor, and now Chris Even captain America. And despite the Edward Norton Bruce Banner looking pretty crappy, let's also not forget that we have the Edward Norton Hulk!

The interesting thing is that when they did the Hulk movie in '08 and released the toys for it, Marvel Universe hadn't debuted yet. that's probably why I feel the figures from that line aren't really compatible with MU like the Iron Man 2, Thor, and now the Cap ones are. Perhaps this means Hulk will get even more love next year with the Avengers movie? MU scale Movie Hulk, anyone? Ooh, I think I just peed my pants...

RATINGS

Aesthetics: 8.5/10- Super Combat Captain America has got a great sculpt, good paint (especially on the head and face) and spot on colors. I did wish they'd have given the figure a light wash or some minor dry-brushing to bring out the excellent texture of his costume a bit more. But they've done a bang-up job painting tiny areas like the leather padding under his mask, his eyes, the silver buckles and clips, the stars on his chest and shoulders, and his helmet wings.All his straps are also done well without too much of spillage, blurred lines or bleeding.

Poseability: 9/10 - Despite his hindered arm rotation, Cap's got the works in terms of PoAs and he's also got the awesome hip/leg swivel/hinges that are inherent in this line.

These are the best I've seen in the 3.75" scale outside of certain Star Wars characters. Yes, they may seem tight and hard to manipulate, so I'll repost this "tutorial" as one reader (and commenter) Elliot dubbed it from my Ultimate Cap review (From left to right, click to enlarge! :])

With a little patience, there isn't many a stance Super Combat Cap can't get into. :)

Fun: 9/10 - Super Combat means super fighting skillz means super-duper invincibility in hand-to-hand combat. Just ask all his Avengers teammates. He beats each of them up for fun. Oh, and also to remind them why he's their leader...

All in all, Super Combat Cap is super fun because he's got articulation, accessories (and a place to store 'em), and relevance--he'll be the Cap we'll see on the big screen soon. Having him side by side with all the rest of the movie characters just really gets me excited about the upcoming Cap movie. (Oboyoboyoboy...) And that gets me thinking about the Avengers movie next year.

"Assemble! - Or I beat you up!"

So far, my faith in Marvel movies on the big screen is on a high after Thor and to some extent X-Men:First Class, while that of DC, well, not quite so much. High quality movie accurate figures like these really add to that sense of excitement.

Value: 9/10 - Great value. A unique sculpt just for a unique character and we get it at retail. Throw in three accessories, including a brand new shield (instead of a Marvel Universe re-use) and a usable holster and we've got ourselves a great deal! However, if you can hold off till after the movie, I'm sure most of this line will go on clearance and this guy will be widely available so you can grab him then! (Though your patience would have to as legendary as Cap himself!)

Overall: 8.9/10 - According to the trusty Chase Variant rating system, it's definitely a keeper though I wouldn't quite maim anyone just yet for it.

If you plan to only buy one Captain America, then this is the guy to get. He's movie accurate and has got all the articulation you'll want on a 3.75" figure. If the movie turns out great (and I suspect it will) then you've got yourself a winner. If not, then he's a great "variant" to add to your Cap collection! Come on, I know all of you have accumulated a ton of Caps unknowingly like me. You can admit it. think I have 8 now! :P

32 comments:

But but but but movie Hulk IS MU scale! He was HYOOJ in the 2008 flick, and some of the Hulk figs actually came with 3.75" humans. Which you already know, but still! :)

"If you plan to only buy one Captain America, then this is the guy to get."

REALLY? Like, even more than any comic version, or are you assuming we already have MU figures of those? 'Cause while I don't necessarily have a problem using a movie figure as my "default" version (Hulk and Iron Man are doing that now, at least until I get around to refinishing oversized Iron Man's face, and movie Thor/Loki might as well...), I'd probably go for a comic one if push came to shove. Unless this guy's THAT much better than them, anyway!

"He's movie accurate and has got all the articulation you'll want on a 3.75" figure."

Except the side ankle pivots. ;)

Anyway, excellent and informative review as always, Ewan! If you hack as well as you review toys, maybe we can use your mad skillz to break back into and ultimately revive AD. ;)

Lol, I knew you'd say that, Wes! All right, all right...2008 Hulk is kinda is MU scale. But he just somehow looks outta place...Maybe it's that glossy finish? And those 3.75" "humans" that came out in the 2008 line look more like 3.75" mannequins! :P

On the "guy to get" statement, I should've been more clear--I meant:

"If you plan to only buy one Captain America from the movie line, then this is the guy to get."

The best Cap EVAH for me is the SDCC 2010 version, which has actually been re-released in its awesome entirety as Battlefield Cap (review of the former is some here on CV, with a review of the latter to come...) And yeah, any one of the comic Caps is probably a better default Cap. But in the real-life-movie-toy-world-of-only-actor likenesses, this guy is default! ;P

"Except the side ankle pivots."

Nah, we don't need those. :P We want 'em for sure tho! Haha.

Thanks gain for reading, Wes. You've been around since almost the beginning so I appreciate it!

And the only hacking I do nowadays is at the RPG table, usually at irate players who botch up their to-hit rolls. Lol.

I like this figure. Not as much as the SDCC repaint, Bucky!Cap or Captain Britain, but everything about this figures design and execution is solud and nice. His shield means that Hasbro has no excuse to continue using the peg and clip system. I plan to get another copy of this guy at a suitible price to give to Bucky, though a version of the scallop shield would not go unappreiated.

I'm going to have to agree with Wes- this guy needs the rocker ankles. Even if it costs out the calf swivel, the rocker swivel is much more useful in my experience.

I think I just found the opponent I want for the Crossbones figure (assuming I find it). The only thing I'm worried about is that I last saw a Super Combat Cap at the neighborhood mall on the last day of a weekend sale so I have a bad feeling he might not be there when I return tonight.

Oh, well. I'm sure the toy stores here will keep them in stock in anticipation of the movie.

@Henry - Ah yes, I see what you mean. The sepecial ankle swivels that those two have. Well I'm about to review another figure which ha those and also some other "lower leg" swivels. You'll see why I was confused. ;)

@Henry Sarmiento - They have this figures coming in 6" scale! Watch out fer 'em! ;)

@Henry Sarmiento - Moving to the smaller scale was genius on Hasbro's part. The oil costs for plastic is so through the roof, look what it's done for Mattel with their DCUC line. Sadly, Mattel sucks at 3 3/4 so they couldn't even pull off their DC Infinite Crisis line. They are definitely smaller figures on Hasbro's part, but they remain much more affordable and cheaper to make, which also lets Hasbro take plenty of risks on some of the less popular figures that might have never gotten a figure before!

Great point, TAS-Wes. ;) I also tend to feel, Henry S, that smaller figures save on space and allow for vehicles, playsets and even the large figures like 12" Giant Man, Skrull, Frost Giant, Sentinels and Galactus to be made into centrepieces like playsets can be.

Having said that, the 6" scale allows for more detail and a chance for better paint, but the problem with Mattel (or even the old Hasbro/Toybiz stuff) is that they don't always deliver. But he most disappointing is when a 6" figure fails to have better articualtion than a 3.75" one. With the size they have, it's inexcusable! ;)

Yeah, it does look interesting. I have my eye on that too. He does have a helmet, gun and a usable holster though. I'll prob pick him and the Jungle Fatigues Cap up. He'll lead my GI Joe Anti-Predator force! ;)

Great review, ewan. your reviews are great, u r really great with poses... which is by the way what sold me into buying most of the figs u review. I was goin to pass this one out (american sentiment not really brimming in asia at the moment, especially with this fig, stars and stripes and all), but as usual, your pics speak volumes! Hasbro should be giving you royalties man!

From all the information I've gathered, sir, I believe that Hasbro might be shutting down the older Joes to prepare for the new batch of movie Joes. After all, why would Hasbro risk alienating all of the Joe fans and collectors by killing off one of the best toy lines they have on the market (although Sgt. Savage and G.I. Joe Extreme come to mind)?

Of course, when a toy company has this many characters, they'll eventually have to shut down temporarily to streamline the whole thing:

Awesome group shots! I'm not sure what shutting down old Joes entails, but if new ones are coming out, I say bring 'em on! Like you say, it might just be a matter of rebranding the new figures under the movie packaging and then slowly weaning us off the movie cardbacks later on, like what they did for the 1st movie. Can't see them not producing old characters though. Esp not if fans clamor for 'em!

After taking another look at the Sgt. Savage & The Screaming Eagles figures and the G.I. Joe Extreme figures...I'd have to say that it would be interesting to see if Hasbro could bring them back and incorporate them into the present toy lines.

I second that! And I really would like some out MU female figures because those in general are done really well. Just look at the Joe movie, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars figures! And Peggy Carter ain't no skinny twig either!

Since there was only Peggy Carter in the movie, it's entirely possible that Hasbro didn't consider it worth the expense to make a figure for her despite having all those ROC female Joe sculpts to choose from in stock.

On the other hand, X-MEN: FIRST CLASS had four female characters and Hasbro didn't even bother to make a toy for any of them (or anyone in the movie, for that matter). But I wouldn't have minded seeing a Movie Mystique or a Comic Series Mystique; a Movie Moira MacTaggart; and a Movie Emma Frost or a Comic Series Emma Frost.

Maybe things will change with the Avengers movie toy line. Although I suspect only Black Widow will make an appearance in action figure form...unless Hasbro decides to try making a Comic Series Rescue Armor Pepper Potts with helmetless and helmeted heads.

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Toys, toys, and more toys!

Welcome to my world where it's all about the hunt, about bagging the prize, the much coveted, the very sought after, chase variant toy!

Ok, ok, so it's not just about rare toys. But it is about toys--how I found them, how I got them, and how I find playing with them such a joy.

I hope you discover only happiness in the toys you find. And happy hunting for those you haven't found.

After all, it's all about the thrill of the hunt, isn't it?

Cheers!

The Chase Rating System

10- I'd give an arm and a leg (plastic or otherwise) for this figure9 - I'd take your arm and leg (non-plastic) for this figure8 - It's a keeper!7- A good toy all round, perhaps some minor flaws6 - Above average with obvious flaws5 - Poor toy. Poor you! (If you've got this)4 - Toss it in the custom bin3 - I wouldn't wish this toy on anyone but your worst enemy2- Makes small children cry1- It killed my pet dog